Freedom

Why am I so shy and nervous? I often ask myself this very question. Is it the fact I enjoy my own company you may ask me? Do I have friends? The answer to that is quite simple, no. Why is this? I hear you ask. Is it because I am afraid I might get my head bitten off by a roaming predator who soars high above in the sky like, lets say Achilles the next door neighbours eagle? Or is it because I find the world too noisy and filled with mixtures of blinding brightness of colours? That is why I am quite happy to hide myself away from the world.

Oh do you have a nice home then? I hear you say, well it’s a bit smallish in size, not much room to move about, a tight fit you might say. But I am proud to call it home. It is always there for me to fall back on when ever I need it. Home they say is where the heart is. I have that comfort of it never leaving me, it’s a bit like my very own mobile home in a sense. But what do you do for food, you ask? Well I haven’t got far to go when I do decide to pop out for a bite to eat. Giving me the freedom to shy away again quickly when I can’t take the noise and the annoyance of people coaxing me out of my home any more. I go back to my cosy and safe surroundings of bliss away from those prodding sticks and patronising voices begging me to venture out again for their sheer entertainment and pleasure.

What are you so scared of you may ask me? Why don’t you want to mix with others? Well that is a simple one too, it is too much effort. Effort you ask next? Yes effort I am not the fastest of movers, well in fact lets just say I am a slow mover, a very slow mover indeed. Well who needs speed in this world? You still get to where you are going to in the end, just not at an insane unnecessary pace, which often causes stress and panic. Its much better and more relaxing, to take a more relaxing and chilled out approach when travelling from one place to another, instead of jogging or running why don’t you have a gentle plod instead? I say. So the answer to your question is I feel this world moves at a speed I just can’t keep up with.

Are you scared of what others will think of you, you are asking now? Well the speed that I move at causes laughter, the other part of me which I often try to hide away is my little bald head, which often brings laughter and a few annoying pats which I just put up with as I chew slowly on my meal of grass. So no, I don’t let the thoughts of others bother me, why would I? After alI I have been alive for the last 100 years.

I have been alive long enough to have my own freedom of choice, what freedom is that, you are wondering now? Well let me tell you shall I? The freedom to hide from those humans who brought me as their pet. The freedom to go to sleep when I want. The freedom to my own thoughts, of my own species taking over one day soon and changing the pace of this world, bringing it down to a much calmer, quiet, subdued slower pace.

At this very moment I can hear little Harry the baby of my owners trying to coax me out to say hello, but little does he know it is my own choice to have this very much needed freedom from my home I wear on my back. As I pop out to stretch my crinkled stiff neck, aaahhhh that’s better, oh hello Harry he’s starting to cry as I move back into my shell. Well come on you didn’t expect me to stay out did you? Sure I can see Achilles the eagle eyeing me up, sitting there on his fence ready to pounce and plus its my freedom of choice to annoy you. Surely you knew what you were signing up for when you brought me. I am not the most outgoing or the most exciting creature now am I? Harry, you little human, surely if you wanted excitement you should of bought a dog. Ah home sweet home I’m back again.

“Hello there, I’m Tommy the tortoise and I thank you for allowing yourself the freedom from your fast paced, action packed lives to hear my story.”